Autopneumatic music-playing instrument.



No.'862,429. PATENTED AUG. 6, 1907. P. 0. WHITE. AUTOPNEUMATIG MUSIC PLAYING INSTRUMENT.

APPLIUATIO N FILED DEO.12,1906.

FRANK C. WHITE, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE WILCOX 8; WHITE COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A'CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

AUTOPNEUMATIC MUSIC-PLAYING INSTRUMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1907.

Application filed December 12,1906. Serial No.34'7,41 1.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK C. WnITE,'a citizen of the United States, residing at Meriden, New Haven county, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autopneumatic Music-Playing Instrumen ts, of which the following is full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in auto-pnew matic music-playing instruments.

The object of the invention is to provide means whereby a solo or melody note can be caused to sound out above the other notes which are intended to accompany the same' The operation is novel and is under manual control to such a degree that the power of the solo note may be varied as desired. In the apparatus I employ the same or equivalent apparatus as that shown in my application Serial No. 341,054, filed October 29, 1906, wherein I have described means whereby the operator may, by a quick or abnormal impulse on the pedal, change the tension in the wind chest from low to high for the pun pose of accentirv certain notes. In my present im provement, even though a plurality of notes are 0 be struck at one time, any one or more of said several notes may be caused to ring out more vigorously than the others. i

In the accompanying drawings; Figure 1 is a longitudinal section, the parts being diagrammatically arranged, only such parts being shown as are necessary to illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is across sectional.

view.

1 is what is termed an equalizer bellows.

2 is a foot bellows or feeder so called, distended by pedal 3 through suitable connecting mechanism.

4 is a spring normally causing the bellows 2 to collapse against the action of pedal 3. a

5 is'a. spring to yieldingly distend equalizer bellows 1.

6 is a mainchamber in an exhaust trunk or wind chest.

. 77 are separate action divisions. Any desired number of action divisions may be employed.

88' are valves located in passages connecting the space 6 with the action division 7-7 respectively.

99 are valves controlled by pneumatics 10-l0 respectively. These valves are adapted to passages connecting the action divisions 7-7 respectively with I a high tension exhaust chamber or space 11. This chamber 11 is in direct communication with the bellows 2 by means of a passage 12 and space 15.. The main exhaust chamber 6 is in direct communication with the interior or" the equalizer bellows l by means of passage 13.

14 is a throttle valve. l4 are bleed-holes in said valve 14 arranged in a passage connecting the interior of equalizer bellows 1 with the space 15 leading to bellows 2.

16 is a duct leading from pneumatic 10 to a supplemental or marginal perforation 17 in tracker 18.

19 is a duct leading from pneumatic 10 to another such perforation 17 in the tracker 18.

20-20 are ducts leading from the action divisions respectively to the action mechanism, the number of said ducts corresponding to the number of key actions employed.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a single key action in which one of the ducts 20*is shown as leading thereto. It is unnecessary to describe in detail the key action, because the same is well understood. It is su'lllcicnt to say that it includes ordinarily a power pneumatic 21 operating a hammer 22, which in turn operates a key 23 or sounding device at the proper time. 24 is a duct from the tracker-hoard leading to one of the primary pnoumatics for an individual key action.

The operation is as follows: Air is exhausted from the several action divisions 7T by means of bellows For operation of the actions under normal tension the course of the air being exhausted is past valves 8-8 through chamber 6, passage 13 and bellows 1, and past valve 14 through space 15 and out through feeder bellows 2. Norumlly both valves 9-4) will stand closed. and since the valves 8 8 open freely toward the chamber 6, the same degree of tension will be found in tho action divisions 7--7 as will be found in the equalizer bellows The operation of the valve or tlllOUlO I4 is substantially as followsz-When the operator starts to exhaust the air, it will be exhausted from space l5 and the passage connnunicating to valves 99 aud at the same time air will be exhausted from equalizer bellows 1, through bleed-holes 14. When the pull of the bellows 1 occasioned by spring 5 over-balances the normal pull of the feeder bellows 2, or is slightly in excess thereof, this valve or throttle 14 will open slightly or sufiicicntly to permit the equalizer to perform its function of maintaining through passage 13 a uniform tension. As in my former application, above referred to, if an abnormal impulse is given to feeder bellows 2, the violence of said impulse will momentarily close valve 14, thus temporarily permitting a very much higher tension in the space 15 than within the feeder bellows, the degree of variation being determined by the force of the abnormal pressure.

If the solo note to be struck is controlled from action division 7, the marginal opening 1'7 will be exposed at'the same time that said note is to be struck, or just before. The opening of duct 17* will cause pneumatic 10 to open valve 9- (see Figs. 1 2) and the higher tension of the foot bellows 2 will be instantly produced within the action division 7 because said bellows will then be in direct connection with chamber 7 and any valve whichmuts off that division from high tension space 11 will be opened and at that instant, of course, the valve in said division leading to space 6 will automatically close. High tension might be had in all action divisions at once by merely putting all of the divi sions in direct communication with bellows 2.

As explained in my former application an abnormal operation of the exhaust bellows 2 will cause the valve 14 in the equalizer'chamber to momentarily close, at that moment, therefore, the full abnormal or high ten- 'sion will be secured in any one of action divisions which may be incommunication with said exhaust bellows at that time. As before explained any desired number of action divisions 7 may be employed. They might be multiplied to such an extent that there would be an action division for each key action Very satisfactory results can be obtained. by a comparatively few divisions, the idea being merely to provide a sufficient number of divisions so that a sufiicient number of accompaniment notes may be employed without using any notes in that division in which the solo note is to occur.

. What I claim is:

.1. In an auto-pneumatic music playing instrument, a tracker-board, an exhaust bellows, a divided windchest, a high tension chamber and a low tension chamber, an equalizer for the latter, passages from the several divisions of the wind-chest into the low tension chamber. valves therein freely opening toward the equalizer. passages from the liig hftension chamber to each division of the .wind- -chest, valves therein. closing toward the'exliaust mechan ism, pneumatics for opening the latter valves, ducts lead ing from said pneumatics to the trackerboard, and arranged to be opened and closed by a perforated note-sheet adapted to traverse the tracker board, a check .valve for the equalizer, a bleed-hole or vent for said equalizer connecting the same with the exhaust: bellows, and series of action mechanisms in communication wirhthe Wind-chest. and valves therein controllable from the tracker-board.

2. In an auto-pneumatic music playing; instrument, a tracker-board, an exhaust bellows. a divided wind-chest, a high tension chamber and a low tension chamber in communication with all of the divisions in said wind-chest. valves therefor, a passage leadingfrom the exhaust to the low tension chamber, an equalizer therein, a check valve between the equalizer and the exhaust bellows, a bleed- A. G. KUHNLE,

N. E. RANDALL. 

